"The Young Lady... she isn't doing very well."
Concern colored Neji's voice.
"What happened to Naruto hit the Young Lady hard. Lord Hiashi has confined her for now, afraid she might do something rash."
Neji clenched his hand.
"To be honest, the Young Lady's reaction shocked me too! She's always been so gentle, but this time she was incredibly defiant. She even confronted Lord Hiashi head-on to defend Naruto. I never expected that!"
"I've thought it over and over, but I still can't figure out what happened between the Young Lady and Naruto... Was it because Naruto cheered her on during the Chunin Ninja Exams? Did his support comfort the Young Lady after I crushed her in both body and spirit, making her see him differently? That feels like a stretch. Could there be something else between them that none of us knows about?"
Sakura thought, Yes. Naruto found his way into Hinata's young heart when she was still very little. Their bond goes much further back and runs far deeper than you imagine.
"Why did you suddenly ask about the Young Lady?" Neji asked.
"No reason. I just haven't seen her around, so I was a little worried."
Sakura brushed it off and kept walking.
Neji was curious, but he didn't press her.
The two returned to the Konoha Refugee Area and walked down an alley.
At the other end, Shizune approached with Tonton in her arms.
Sakura hurriedly took the Forehead Protector from around her neck and tied it neatly across her forehead, covering her Yin Seal.
Shizune walked with her head lowered... and didn't even notice the two approaching her.
She was utterly exhausted!
Konoha had been destroyed overnight, and its survivors had fled to Sunagakure. Only through the joint efforts of the Konoha Medical Corps and